Adaptor mount for gun

ABSTRACT

An adaptor mount is provided for use with a gun having a Picatiny rail. A first accessory may be mounted on a first portion of the Picatiny rail of the gun. The adaptor mount has a clamp, and a mount piece having a body and a platform that, together with the clamp, defines a receiving space. The adaptor mount further includes an auxiliary Picatiny rail extending transverse to the body of the mount, with a second accessory mounted on the auxiliary Picatiny rail. A fixing screw extends through the auxiliary Picatiny rail, the body, the receiving space and the clamp, and a locking nut is positioned adjacent the clamp and engaged to the fixing screw. A second portion of the Picatiny rail of the gun is received inside the receiving space to secure the adaptor mount to the Picatiny rail of the gun.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an adaptor mount for use with guns,shotguns and rifles (hereinafter collectively referred to as “gun”), andin particular, to an adaptor mount for a gun which carries a rail formounting accessories at a location away from a fixed rail that isprovided on the gun.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Most commercially-available guns are provided with rails on whichaccessories may be mounted. Such accessories can include conventionallaser sights, scopes and red dot sights. One type of standard rail isknown as a “Picatiny” rail. Picatiny rails are military standard rails(MI1913) that are used for certain types of military and law-enforcementguns. These rails have a plurality of grooves, with each groove havingstandard pitch (width) so that the rail is adapted to receiveaccessories having tracks that are sized and configured to be secured tothese rails.

Certain commercially-available guns are provided with pre-fixed Picatinyrails that can be positioned on top of the gun housing, on the side ofthe gun housing, or even on the underside of the gun housing. Oneexample of such a shotgun is the “FN 303” made by FNH USA of McLean, Va.Often, the user might desire to secure one accessory (e.g., aconventional non-laser sight) to a “Picatiny” rail at the top of theshotgun housing, but also desires to use another accessory (e.g., alaser sight). Since the first accessory is already on the rail at thetop of the gun housing, there would be no location for securing anyadditional accessories.

Thus, there still remains a need to allow a user to secure multipleaccessories to a gun that only has a single fixed rail.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention provides an adaptor mount for use with a gunhaving a Picatiny rail. A first accessory may be mounted on a firstportion of the Picatiny rail of the gun. The adaptor mount has a clamp,and a mount piece having a body and a platform that, together with theclamp, defines a receiving space. The adaptor mount further includes anauxiliary Picatiny rail extending transverse to the body of the mount,with a second accessory mounted on the auxiliary Picatiny rail. A fixingscrew extends through the auxiliary Picatiny rail, the body, thereceiving space and the clamp, and a locking nut is positioned adjacentthe clamp and engaged to the fixing screw. A second portion of thePicatiny rail of the gun is received inside the receiving space tosecure the adaptor mount to the Picatiny rail of the gun.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shotgun assembly shown with an adaptormount according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the shotgun, adaptor mount,scope, and laser sight of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the adaptor mount of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the adaptor mount of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the adaptor mount of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the adaptor mount of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the adaptor mount of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the adaptor mount of FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the adaptor mount of FIG. 3.

FIG. 10 is a right side view of the adaptor mount of FIG. 3.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the adaptor mount of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplatedmodes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be takenin a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustratinggeneral principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of theinvention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the present invention provides an adaptor mount20 that is adapted for use in securing an accessory, such as aconventional laser sight 22, to a conventional shotgun 24. The shotgun24 has a conventional Picatiny rail 26 provided along a flat top surfaceof the gun housing 28. The Picatiny rail 26 has a plurality of groovesalternated by ridges. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an accessory in theform of a conventional scope 30 can be secured on a portion of the rail26 using well-known techniques. For example, the scope 30 has a lowertrack 32 that is aligned with the rail 26 to secure the scope 30 to therail 26 through the threading of a screw (not shown) using knowntechniques.

However, when the scope 30 has been secured on the rail 26, it is notpossible to secure another accessory to the same rail 26 if theaccessory utilizes a conventional lower track. Therefore, as an example,while it may be possible to secure the laser sight 22 to the rail 26,the laser line emitted by the laser sight 22 cannot be used by the user.

The present invention provides a novel adaptor mount 20 that allows anadditional accessory (e.g., the laser sight 22) to be used via anindirect connection to the rail 26. The adaptor mount 20 is adapted tobe secured to the rail 26, and has its own length of a Picatiny rail 34provided thereon to receive the laser sight 22, so that the laser sight22 can be oriented at an angle with respect to the original rail 26. Byorienting the laser sight 22 at an angle away from the original rail 26,the laser emitted from the laser sight 22 can be used. In the currentembodiment, the adaptor mount 20 orients the extra accessory at an angleof about 90 degrees from the original rail 26. This is best shown inFIG. 1.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-11, the adaptor mount 20 has a mount piece 40,a clamp 38, a fixing screw 42 and a locking nut 44. The mount piece 40has a support body 36 that has a planar platform 46. The combined body36 and platform 46 define a bottom surface that is shaped to allow thebody 36 and platform 46 to be secured to a conventional Picatiny rail,such as rail 26. In particular, the bottom surface has a planar or flatrear portion 48 that extends from a rear angled edge 50 to an angledreceiving surface 52. The surface 52 is angled in a manner that definesa V-shape. The clamp 38 is angled to define a generally bowl-shaped orconvex (but with linear edges) configuration that is adapted to receivethe rear angled edge 50.

The clamp 38, the portion 48 and the receiving surface 52 define areceiving space 54 (see FIG. 10) into which a portion of the rail 26 canbe received to secure the adaptor mount 20 to the rail 26.

An auxiliary Picatiny rail 34 is provided at an end of the body 36opposite the rear angled edge 50, and extends transverse (i.e., 90degrees) to the orientation of the platform 46. The rail 34 has aplurality of grooves 60 alternated by ridges 62. Referring to FIG. 11, afirst bore 64 extends through the rail 34 and the body 36, andcommunicates with a smaller second bore 66 in the body 36 that in turnextends through the receiving surface 52 and opens into the receivingspace 54. The fixing 35 screw 42 is adapted to extend through the bores64, 66, then through the receiving space 54, and through an opening 68in the clamp 38 to be secured by the locking nut 44.

In use, when a user desires to use an additional accessory with theshotgun 24, such as a laser sight 22, the locking nut 44 is unscrewed toseparate the clamp 38 from the mount piece 40. The mount piece 40 ispositioned on the original rail 26 of the shotgun 24 with the rail 34facing the desired side of the shotgun 24, and then the clamp 38positioned against the rear angled edge 50. The angled configuration ofthe receiving surface 52 and the clamp 38 allow for the combined mountpiece 40 and clamp 38 to securely grip the sides of the rail 26. Thefixing screw 42 is then extended through the bores 64, 66, through thereceiving space 54 and the opening 68, and then the locking nut 44 isscrewed to the end of the fixing screw 42 to secure the adaptor mount 20on the desired location of the rail 26. The accessory (e.g., the lasersight 22) can then be secured to the rail 34 using well-known techniques(i.e., the same technique for securing accessories to the rail 26).Thus, the adaptor mount 20 of the present invention allows additionalaccessories to be mounted to a gun at different orientations from theoriginal Picatiny rail.

While the description above refers to particular embodiments of thepresent invention, it will be understood that many modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit thereof. The accompanying claimsare intended to cover such modifications as would fall within the truescope and spirit of the present invention.

1. An assembly, comprising: a gun having a Picatiny rail; a firstaccessory mounted on a first portion of the Picatiny rail; a secondaccessory; and an adaptor mount, comprising: a clamp; a mount having abody and a platform that, together with the clamp, defines a receivingspace; an auxiliary Picatiny rail extending transverse to the body ofthe mount, with the second accessory mounted on the auxiliary Picatinyrail; a fixing screw extending through the auxiliary Picatiny rail, thebody, the receiving space and the clamp; and a locking nut positionedadjacent the clamp and engaged to the fixing screw; wherein a secondportion of the Picatiny rail of the gun is received inside the receivingspace.
 2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the second accessory is alaser sight.
 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the Picatiny rail ofthe gun and the auxiliary Picatiny rail are oriented at right angles toeach other when the Picatiny rail of the gun is received inside thereceiving space of the adaptor mount.
 4. The assembly of claim 1,wherein the clamp and the body each has angled surfaces for gripping thePicatiny rail of the gun.
 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein thePicatiny rail and the auxiliary Picatiny rail have identicalconfigurations.